


Family Gatherings

by Blueberryshortcake



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Child Abandonment, Gen, Human AU, carwash siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 14:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14239503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberryshortcake/pseuds/Blueberryshortcake
Summary: Carolina goes to her first family reunion since the death of her Mother. She’s related to more people than she thought.





	Family Gatherings

**Author's Note:**

> This is a human au, so all the AI are clones rather than AI fragments. Director cloned Alpha from himself, and Alpha cloned the others.

“So let me get this straight,” Carolina said slowly. “In an attempt to avoid his social obligations my–the Director has sent his clone in his place to our first family reunion.”

“Yeah.”

“AND said clone has brought the clones he made of himself along?”

“Hey!” One of the younger version of her father retorted, “We’re family too.”

Alpha stuck his finger in his ear as if to try and tune out Epsilon. “They were loud. I didn’t care. What was I supposed to do?”

“How about not bring a horde of experimental clones to the family reunion. I haven’t seen any of these people since I was four. They’re civilians.”

“Well,” Alpha said, “My job is done. Where’s the beer?” He wandered off towards the refreshment table.

“Don’t be so worried,” Epsilon said, “We’ll just be… the Church Cousins. The invite said extended family. We’re your family, so you brought us along.”

“You are not blaming me for bringing you guys along—where are you all going!” Carolina hissed.

“Mingling.” Gamma deadpanned. “I have some jokes that I would like to try out on a new audience.”

“No!” Carolina growled. “You are all going back to the lab.”

“But,” Theta said looking up at her with huge green eyes. “I wanna meet our family.”

“Yeah, Carolina,” Epsilon said putting a hand on Theta’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t want to deprive poor little Theta of–”

“OH! Charlotte!”

Carolina almost didn’t turn around, it was a long time since she had heard her civilian name. “It IS you isn’t it? Oh it must be, you have your father’s eyes!”

She was soon embraced by her…great…aunt? Maybe?

And then her cheeks were pinched ruthlessly. Fuck! Now she knew where she got her grip from.

“And who are these fine young men?” She asked smiling at the clones.

Ugh.

“These are…” Carolina began.

“We’re Charlotte’s cousins, on her father’s side,” Sigma answered smoothly taking the great aunt’s hand and kissing it. “I’m… Sigmund, big brother Al has wandered off somewhere, these are my brothers Omer, Gary, Delton, Theo, the twins: Ethan and Ira–”

“Hello,” Eta and Iota said with little feeling.

“And… Quentin.”

“W–” Epsilon was about to protest.

“OH! I’m Aunty Lotte, Charlotte’s namesake,” The Aunt beamed. Carolina wasn’t actually sure if that was true… knowing her parents it was probably a coincidence… or at least knowing her father.

Lotte quickly scribbled names onto stickers and stuck them onto each clone. “Have fun dears! Bishop parties are known to be a bit wild!” And she was cheerfully off to greet other relatives.

“…Are you really related to her?” Epsilon asked. “She seemed really… … … nice.”

Carolina elbowed him hard. This was going to suck.

While her back was turned the others hand escaped going off to mingle with the crowd. She had no idea her mother’s side of the family was so big… it was a bit daunting.

“There’s a dog!” Theta (angel that he was hadn’t run off) tugged at her shirt “Can I go pet it, Carolina, please?”

Carolina sighed. Defeated. Alpha was going to pay for this. “Okay, kid. Just make sure to ask first.”

“Yay!” Theta cheered running off.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Delta followed after the excited Theta.

“Okay, so, you’re going to introduce me then?” Epsilon asked, taking her arm.

Carolina huffed, but didn’t shove him away. “I don’t know anyone here. Like I said to Alpha I haven’t seen any of these people since I was a toddler. After Mom… well, Dad cut both of us off from anything to do that would bring up her memory.”

“I know lots about memories,” Epsilon nodded. “I mean.. Messed up, hazy, half remembered, but, hey.”

“Yeah… well then ‘Cousin.’”

“Actually you’re more like my… aunt.”

Carolina raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?

“Your father created Alpha,” Epsilon said. “And Alpha created me and the others. So really Alpha is like… your brother and I’m your nephew,” He grinned cheekily. “Can I call you Auntie Lina?”

“You are not my nephew,” Carolina. “Besides what about the part where you carry all of Alpha and the Director’s memories.”

“Then I’m also your brother… and your dad. I’m the whole package,” Epsilon snickered.

Well, this was definitely her mom’s family. Omega was losing in an arm wrestling contest to a buff young woman, Gamma had got his head pushed into the cake by another girl who was still rolling her eyes at his lame knock knock jokes. Theta was cheering while a blond teen flung a stick as far as she possibly could for the dog to chase.

“Carolina?”

“Wash?” Carolina blinked. Not exactly the last person she expected to see, but pretty close to the bottom… “Oh,” maybe this wasn’t as weird as she thought, “Was Alpha actually smart enough to bring a handler?”

Wash still looked confused. “Handler? No it’s my day off–Epsilon, what are you doing here??”

“Oh, look! Jello mould! I love those! Maybe,” Epsilon made a bee-line to the table in the opposite direction of Wash.

“Then why are you here–…Bishop.” It clicked. Oh. OH…really… that was… it was a common last name so she had never thought…

Wash slowly nodded. “Yeah, that would be my last name… so was there… an emergency? I have my…phone…” The gears were working in Wash’s head but he seemed to be avoiding the obvious answer.”

“David!! There you are, your sisters were looking for yo–oh…”

Carolina felt a bit frozen. The woman was familiar. From pictures she hadn’t been allowed to put out. Pictures she rarely looked at now, but were engraved in her mind.

The woman looked like her mother… older. Mouth a little wider, eyes brown instead of blue… but…

“Little Charlie,” The woman said softly. Sadness in her eyes… but also anger? Wash looked between the two of them. “Uh… Mom?”

Wash’s… mother…?

The woman looked back at him, tightened her grip on his shoulder. Why would she–?

“David, this–”

“We uh… know each other,” Wash interrupted.

“You know??” The older woman asked. Obviously something was not being said.

“So, we’re cousins,” Carolina said. “Hah.”

Wash quickly looked back and forth between them. “Really?” He squeaked.

“Yes,” His mother said quickly. “We… your father swept you away after Ally’s death–I’m your Aunt Amelia, I guess you wouldn’t remember me…”

She didn’t… not really. All the memories tumbling through her head when she looked at Amelia’s face were of her mother.

“How do you know each other? That’s a coincidence!” Amelia’s voice had gone a bit high, and now Carolina knew where Wash got it. There was something…she wasn’t saying.

Epsilon had wandered back, apparently figuring he was safe from Wash’s wrath. He seemed to seize up when he saw Amelia. Probably flashes of Mom ringing in his head.

“We work together,” Wash said, still looking blown away at the revelation. “We’re cousins?”

“Amelia?” Epsilon choked. There were tears in his eyes.

“Ep–Quinten?” Carolina stumbeld. The clones were rarely so… emotional. Not like this. Usually they were whiny, bitchy, amused, excited, but never–never like this. Seeing her father’s face cry was … unnatural.

Amelia frowned unsure of what to say, or who Epsilon even was.

“Oh–ohfuck. Oh FUCK.” Epsilon stumbled back.

“What’s wrong?” Amelia asked.

“Epsilon–” Wash moved to follow him.

“It’s fine,” Carolina signaled for him to stay. “I’ll look after this, you get the others. Vacation’s over.”

“The other’s are here?” She heard Wash exclaim. She was already moving after Epsilon. “Sorry Mom, I have to–I’ll explain later.”

Epsilon sometimes had episodes. Violent triggering of memories. He could be a danger to himself or others.

She found him hitting his head hard against a large tree that blocked their view of the festivities.

“Epsilon. It’s me.” Carolina announced her self.

Epsilon stopped bashing his head, but he was clinging to the tree.

“Fuck.”  
  
“Breathing exercises, okay?” Carolina said calmly. Wash was better at handling Epsilon’s episodes, but with his Mom right there–

“Talk to me.”

“I can’t.”

Carolina frowned, “Since when can we not talk?”  She wasn’t directly his handler, but they had grown close. She wouldn’t push… but protocol was to get the details as soon as possible… it was pretty brutal protocol.

“I did something terrible. Unforgivable.”

“You did? Or He did?” Carolina felt trepidation now.

“Wha…? Oh… I… he…”

“Breath a bit more for me?” Carolina moved closer now that he had calmed down a bit. He did, taking her hand as he breathed in and out.

After a few moments he let go and turned around, letting himself slide down the tree. Carolina squatted down beside him. “Tell me.”

“Fuck… you can’t… you can’t tell Wash.”

“Wash? Why not?”

Epsilon bit his knuckles. “When Allison died… I–he was a wreck. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep. He could barely take care of you much less a ten month old baby.”

“Where’s the baby?!” Charlie cried.

“That’s enough, Charlotte. I’m tired today, alright?”

“The baby,” Carolina said slowly. “I thought I imagined it.”

“And Amelia was… there. She had been helping out. She had her own kids, couldn’t be shuttling between them and the house, single mother, and we could–Leonard and her could barely stand the sight of each other after Allison and never had gotten along before, so she would have the baby for the night….and then a week,  and I–he left him.”

“Left him?” Carolina felt cold.

“He was the last joy our family had before your mother died,” Epsilon whispered his eyes dimmed. “Looking at him was too painful.”

“Baby David,” Carolina whispered. “My little brother.”


End file.
